This has been my "mainstay bird feeder" for 40+ years. It provides seed and suet for small birds, like Chickadees, Titmice, Wrens, Nuthatches, etc, AND excludes the big bullies like Starlings, Grackles and Blue Jays.
I have made many versions of this feeder, and believe the bigger the better, so I will describe my latest version, which is pictured below (pic from today, click to enlarge).
The overall INSIDE dimensions are height 16 inches, depth and width 22 inches. The wire is nominally 1 x 2 inch hardware cloth. I use pliers to squeeze every other opening to a clearance dimension of approximately 1 1/4 inch wide. The vertical dimension remains constant at about 1 3/4 inches (less than 2 inches because of wire thickness).
The sides are 2 pieces of wire cloth. One is a single piece 66 inches long by 16 inches high, folded twice at 22 inches to make the left, back and right sides. The other piece is 22 inches wide by16 inches high, and attached to a back side by simple wire hinges (just wrap single pieces of wire to connect the front and sides in 2 places.......see left side of enlarged pic).
We usually put black oil sunflower seed and peanuts in the center floor of the feeder, and peanut butter suet (see prev. post) in the suet stick.
You will want to mount the feeder on a sturdy pole with a squirrel/raccoon baffle below it. They can't get in the feeder, but they can work it over pretty good (see gnawing on right side where a squirrel jumped over to it). Squirrels can jump horizontally 9 ft (yes I did my own measurements). So position any feeder at least 10 ft from a solid squirrel jumping point.
And then enjoy the little guys not being harassed by the big bullies.
I have made many versions of this feeder, and believe the bigger the better, so I will describe my latest version, which is pictured below (pic from today, click to enlarge).
The overall INSIDE dimensions are height 16 inches, depth and width 22 inches. The wire is nominally 1 x 2 inch hardware cloth. I use pliers to squeeze every other opening to a clearance dimension of approximately 1 1/4 inch wide. The vertical dimension remains constant at about 1 3/4 inches (less than 2 inches because of wire thickness).
The sides are 2 pieces of wire cloth. One is a single piece 66 inches long by 16 inches high, folded twice at 22 inches to make the left, back and right sides. The other piece is 22 inches wide by16 inches high, and attached to a back side by simple wire hinges (just wrap single pieces of wire to connect the front and sides in 2 places.......see left side of enlarged pic).
We usually put black oil sunflower seed and peanuts in the center floor of the feeder, and peanut butter suet (see prev. post) in the suet stick.
You will want to mount the feeder on a sturdy pole with a squirrel/raccoon baffle below it. They can't get in the feeder, but they can work it over pretty good (see gnawing on right side where a squirrel jumped over to it). Squirrels can jump horizontally 9 ft (yes I did my own measurements). So position any feeder at least 10 ft from a solid squirrel jumping point.
And then enjoy the little guys not being harassed by the big bullies.
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